Caroline opened her eyes, letting her sight adjust to the lights before she noticed that she had her head on Klaus' lap. She jumped out of his hold, moving away from him as she turned to look at him.
"What happened?" She asked, as her thoughts started gathering up and she gained consciousness. She was stuck in the elevator. With Klaus. For how long? Who knows? Her palms began to get all sweaty, feeling her throat go smaller and smaller. She was having a hard time breathing. What was happening?
Klaus noticed that she was having another panic attack. He quickly went in front of her, placing both his hands on the sides of her face. "Caroline, look at me." She did as she was told. "You are having another panic attack. Just breath. Remember count to 3, repeat the mantra."
"1….2…." She began, closing her eyes to concentrate. She inhaled and exhaled various of times until she felt at ease. She slowly opened her eyes to look at him. "Thank you." She cleared her throat. "Again." They chuckled as they went into an uncomfortable silence.
Klaus smirked before he went to sit down beside her. "I didn't peg you as a claustrophobic, love." She scoffed glancing at him.
"If you haven't noticed, I'm kind of like a control freak. So, it shouldn't come out as a surprise."
"And here I thought we were having a moment." Klaus sighed, raising his legs closer to him and letting his arm rest on his knee. Of course, she is still pissed at him for the way they handled things earlier. 'She wanted to be friends and because of how I acted with her, now everyone knows about us sleeping around. Who knows what will happen to us at work. This is not professional.' He thought to himself.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, he barely heard it come out of her lips. He turned to look at her, now this was a surprise. "I shouldn't have yelled at you. It was awful of me and I'm not even sure if Ross heard this. What if he is going to fire us? What if.."
"Caroline, sweetheart, breathe." Klaus interrupted. "You're going to give yourself another panic attack."
"Sorry. It's just that.." She took a breath. "...I was a jerk today. I just went all 'Caroline Forbes' on you and I promised myself that I wouldn't do that after getting out of high school. I was going to leave the drama behind and start anew." She exasperated, placing her hand on her forehead.
"Did you just use your name as a verb?"
"Is that all you got from what I said?" She asked.
"No, not at all, in fact, I also wanted to apologize because I was the jerk, not you, love." He explained. "You asked me for a cup of coffee and I rejected you just because of my bloody man pride. If I had said yes, then you wouldn't have gone all 'Caroline Forbes' as you so poetically recited." She made a half-grin as she looked down, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Well, we can agree to disagree on our behaviors." She added.
"I'm ok with that." He said. "I would actually love to go and get a cup of coffee with you. If you are still interested." He added.
"Yeah, yeah…" She smiled at him. "I'd like that."
"Hey guys, we are getting ready to open up the doors." The operator called out from the elevator's intercom.
"Thank you," Caroline replied.
Caroline was finally home after her crazy day at work. Going off on Klaus, then getting stuck in the elevator with him, fainting, and then making peace with him. How did it go from all fucked up to a little better?
She went straight to her bathroom and she drew herself a bath. She needed to relax. She poured herself a glass of Stella Rose Black wine and then she got inside her tub. She got out her favorite book and put on some smooth jams.
She closed her eyes, letting herself rest after the long day she had. She was even considering skipping the reading part and just going for the nap.
She wasn't even starting to daydream when she heard a knock on the door. "Ugh!" She exasperated. "Can't I just have a moment of peace!?" She got up and put on her robe. The person kept knocking. "I'm coming! Damn." She exclaimed as she opened the door. "What's your deal-oh, hey, Ty!"
Tyler looked worried as he came in, embracing her in a hug. "I came as soon as I heard." He pushed back, giving her a peck on her lips. "How are you?"
"Uh-" She got out of his embrace before she closed the door. "-um yeah, I'm ok. We were in there for about 3 hours or so. I just-"
"We?" He interrupted.
"Yeah, Klaus and I." She replied. He still looked worried. "Look, I'm ok, I just had a really long day. I want some peace and quiet...and some wine." She chuckled. "I was actually in the middle of taking a bath." She gestured to her robe and semi-wet bun.
"Oh, sorry for intruding."
"It's fine, really. You were just checking up on me, which is sweet from your part." She replied. He smiled at her, moving a bit closer, wrapping his arm around her waist. Caroline let out a small breath leave her lips, the gesture capturing her by surprise. He leaned in, closing the space with a kiss.
"Is there any chance you would like some company in that bath?" He whispered in between kisses. Caroline giggled as she kept kissing him, parting her lips and allowing his tongue explore inside. She removed his jacket as they began to take steps behind her, going closer to the bathroom. He pressed her against the nearest wall, kissing down her neck and to her collarbone, sucking it before he kissed back up. Caroline slightly pushed him away, her hands snaking down to catch the hem of his shirt. She got a glimpse of him, her eyes widened, was she imagining it? Did she see his green eyes and those adorable dimples?
"Klaus." She whispered, barely audible. Tyler stared at her confused.
"What?"
"Nothing." She replied, shaking her head. She got out of his grip, fixing her robe to cover herself fully. "I've just had a tough day, I-uh-I think that it's better if I just took the bath alone." He came behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"What's wrong?" He asked. Caroline slowly turned around to look at him.
"Nothing's wrong, I just really would like some time alone." She replied, giving him a reassuring smile before planting a sweet and short kiss on his lips. "I'll call you later to finish what we started here." She added. Tyler smiled caressing her hair.
"Alright, that's fine with me." He kissed her again before he left her apartment. Caroline walked towards her couch, grabbing her phone as she took a seat.
"I must be going crazy." She whispered to herself. She finished her text before she went back to her relaxation time. She definitely deserved it.
Klaus' phone buzzed, alarming him that he had received a new text. He took it out of his pocket, his screen displaying Caroline's name along with a text message.
'Hey, Klaus. So, about that coffee meet up. How about we change it for a beer tonight?'
His face lit up into a genuine smile as he texted her back, 'Sure, love. Meet up at 9 at Kress bar?'
"Is that a smile creeping on Nik's face?" Rebekah chimed in, entering the living room as she took a bite of her apple. "Would it have something to do with a woman?" Klaus' smile fell as he glared at his sister.
"Play nice Rebekah. Remember that we are here to support Niklaus and his endeavors." Elijah replied. He took a sip of his coffee, wearing a small but noticeable grin. Kol came behind, placing both his hands on his favorite brother's shoulders, giving it a squeeze.
"Poppycock brother, our dear Nik has no ties." He exclaimed. "Right Nik?"
"Would you all just stop with this chit-chat?" He snared. "Not just because you lot are staying with me, means that you can go along and make up pathetic stories of my life. None know of what I've gone through or am going through but Kol, and I would very much appreciate it if you would stop in overall and go home." He stood up ready to walk away when Rebekah stopped him.
"Nik, I know that we betrayed you, and I don't know how many more times do you expect for us to grovel, but I am here for you! I will be here, reminding you of it 24/7 until you let me in and become that loving and adoring brother that we all know and love." She stated as a matter of fact. Klaus stared down at her before he walked past her and into his room.
"Will you ever learn dear sister." Kol started. "Nik is a tough guy and very prideful. You need to give him space, he will come along."
"Thank you, Kol, but being put to the side by him really hurts. He used to love me so much, I was everything for him." Her eyes began to get watery. "Every small news that he had he would come to tell me of it. It didn't matter how insignificant it was, I was there to hear it and cheer him on for it or get sad with him. I was his person…" She inhaled a breath. "...now I only get the cold shoulder. I know we did wrong. I know we chose to stay in the comforts of our home before realizing that our real family was with him all along, but I just wish he understood that we are terribly sorry, well at least I am."
"He will come to terms with it soon enough," Elijah stated as he got up. He placed a hand inside his pocket as he stood in front of his sister. "For now, you live your life. Go out! Explore the depths and the beauty that New York has to offer." He glanced at Kol. "Why don't you go out with Kol and let him show you around. I don't think he would mind."
"Oh, oh no." He shook his head. "She nags too much and will literally take the fun out of everything." Rebekah grabbed a throw pillow before hitting him with it.
"You ass." She chastised. Kol chuckled before he came around, embracing her sister in a hug.
"I'm only pushing your buttons, sister. Of course, I would take my lovely sister out for the night." He grinned mischievously. "You are in for a treat!"
The three siblings did not notice that Klaus was hiding behind his wall, hearing his sister's little speech. Maybe he was being too harsh on them. Maybe he should just forgive them. But then again, they did betray him, not including Kol. Kol knew from the beginning that he was the person to be in cahoots with. He needed a little more time, just like Kol said. Give him space and he will come along. And that he shall.
Klaus then went towards his bathroom to get ready for his non-official date with Caroline.
Caroline finished doing her makeup as she stared at herself in the mirror. "Not a date. Just a hangout." She repeated to herself. She then got up from her vanity mirror to get dressed. She had a bodycon pink dress with a jean jacket. She decided on going with casual look since it was just a hangout and not a date, as she kept repeating.
She looked at herself in her long mirror. She didn't like how her outfit looked with her converse; that just looked way too comfortable. She opted for her open-toed black heels. Once she was completely happy with her look, she ordered her uber and made her way to her lobby to wait for it.
Klaus waited outside the bar, checking his phone to see the time and to see if he had any missed calls from Caroline. He had arrived at exactly 9 pm. He paced back and forth, rubbing the back of his neck. It was already 9:30, and he didn't want to text or call her because this was just a casual outing with a friend. He had to remind himself that she is taken. She has a boyfriend that is maybe better than him. He sighed, taking a seat on the bench outside. This girl was driving him crazy and they weren't even sexually involved anymore.
A car pulled up and a very late Caroline came out. She gave him an apologetic smile before coming up to him and embracing him in a hug. She did it without thinking and felt horribly awkward afterward.
"Sorry." She mumbled.
"No, it's fine. Was there something wrong?" He asked before he took a moment to admire how beautiful she looked this evening.
"Well, all I can say that it was lady stuff." She replied. He gave her a concerned look, probably thinking that she was on her period. "Oh, no, not that kind of lady stuff. Just clothing situation."
They shared a laugh as he opened the door for her, gesturing for her to go in first. She smiled at him, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you."
"And may I say, you look beautiful." He complimented.
"You don't look so bad yourself." She replied. Was that a hint of flirting? Caroline, get your head straight! 'You have a boyfriend.' She told herself.
They came up to a booth, obviously sitting on different sides. The waiter quickly came up and took their orders, both decided on beers and some nachos.
"So, how have you been?" Klaus asked, deciding to break the ice.
"I've been alright. Kind of missing our hangouts." She replied. "Well, the ones before we actually started having sex." She giggled.
"How's Tyler?" He hated that he asked that, but he needed her to know that he was "ok" with her and her new found relationship, even though he wasn't.
"Oh, he's ok, we've been ok, everything is ok."
The waiter came, placing the two beer bottles in front of them and placing the nachos in the middle. "Anything else, you can just call me." He stated before going off and helping other people.
"Just give me another ok and I will believe you." He chuckled, taking a sip of his beer. Caroline looked down, playing with her napkin. "Is there something wrong with him? Is he not treating you right?"
"No, that's not it. He is actually an amazing guy; very loving and sweet and respectful." She recited. "But, I don't know, I just don't feel that spark, you know?" He awkwardly smiled, nodding at her.
"Trust me, darling. I understand." Caroline got the hint; she knew that he was talking about her. If only she could have told him that day how she felt….or still feels.
"So, how are you?"
"Well, my sister and older brother decided to pay me a visit." He took another sip, hoping that his bitterness was not shown. "I'm not very fond of surprises that come from my family. Nothing good ever comes of it."
"Why is it so bad that they came?"
"When I most needed them, they let me down. I hoped that they would at least visit, but that never happened. Now, out of the blue, they decide they want to make good of their promises of 'Family above all' and 'Always and forever'? I don't buy it and why should I?" He answered. "I have been hurt by my family one too many times. I've had enough."
"I can see where you are coming from, but Klaus-" She placed her hand on top of his, not really seeing it as something wrong a friend does with another quickly glanced at the gesture before he looked at her. "-they are here now. Trying to mend your broken relationship and trying to be here for you. That must count for something."
He grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know I sound stubborn, Caroline, but it is going to take some time before I can forgive them."
"So, this is why you have been avoiding me?" A new voice interrupted their conversation. They both looked up to see an angry Tyler, hands clenched and with glaring eyes. "You are cheating on me."
Caroline quickly snatched her hand away from Klaus' as she stood up. "No, no, that's not it! This isn't what it looks like." She defended.
"Care to explain?" He added. Caroline sighed, looking down at Klaus before she mouthed an 'I'm sorry'.
"Yes, I can definitely explain. We work together and we were placed in the same case, we just wanted to go over some of the legal arrangements over a beer. Is that such a crime?"
"It is if you are holding hands with the douchebag and making loving eyes at him!" Tyler exclaimed, now making a scene. Eyes were on them, making Caroline really uncomfortable.
"Look, mate, I think we should take this outside." Klaus chimed in as he stood up as well. "There is no need for you to make a scene and make a complete fool out of yourself while dragging Caroline and I with you." Tyler darkly chuckled before he flung his fist right into Klaus' face, knocking him down.
"How is that for making a scene….mate?" He sneered, clearly not sober.
"Tyler!" Caroline yelled, rushing to Klaus' aid. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Acting like a jealous-"
"Boyfriend?" He cut in. "Because in case you forgot Forbes, I am your boyfriend." She handed Klaus a napkin before she helped him up. She then glared at Tyler.
"Yes, I am very aware of my relationship status you ass!" She was over the fact that she was still inside a bar with more than a dozen people looking straight at her. She had become live entertainment. "I am not cheating on you and it really offends me that you think that low of me." Klaus stood right behind her, ready to pounce on him like a jaguar would do on his prey. "If I was holding his hand, it was in a kind gesture, not because I was hinting to him that I was ready to have sex with him."
"I saw the way you looked at him. It was the same way you looked at me on our first date. I should've known that you were just another New York skank, ready-" Klaus had enough, he lunged himself to Tyler, pushing him to the floor as he punched him various times.
"Klaus! Stop!" Caroline yelled. "Just stop it you two!" She was worried that the police would get involved, knowing how badly these certain situations end.
Klaus gave him the last punch before standing up. "You don't deserve her you prick. You don't deserve any women for that matter if that is the way you are going to speak to them. I really hope you don't go near Caroline again because the next time, I won't stop so easily." Tyler just looked up at him, touching his broken nose lightly. He spat out some of his blood before he stood up. The bar's security came.
"I'm gonna have to ask you all to leave."
"Don't worry, we were just on our way out," Klaus replied, dropping off some 20's on the table before he grabbed Caroline's hand, leading her outside with him.
A/N: Hey guys, there is not much I can say but sorry for making you wait this long for a new chapter. I do hope I can upload more regularly now that I have extra time on my hands. ENJOY!
Also, if you want an update on any particular story of mine, just ask and I will do my best to update it as well. I am trying to get them all updated, but it will really help to know which one is better liked then the others. Thank you!